Tender-cistern-water indicator



Qct. 21, 1930. J. H. BECKER TENDER CISTERN WATER INDICATOR Filed oct. 12. 1927 lln/ @a INVENTOR ATTO RN EY WITNESS:

Patented Oct. 21', 1*:'9'30 'TnNnEIecIsTERN-WATER'INDICATOR.

Y v @Appi'ieationnled october 12, 1927.' seriiNo. 225,745.;

'-Ihe presentinvention `relates to gauges and is particularly *applicable to' gauging"v the depth of liquid inatank.- "g: j

"f Spe'c`ili`cally,the device has been contrived 5 foruseinmeasuring the depth `ofvwater in the cistern,` of a'locomotive tender,althoughit may be applied in" othersimilar constructions, orf wherever" the depth "offaliduid isto be indicated 1onascale. Y g f Objects di the invention are to provide a device of the characterdescribed by means of 4vv'liieh Vthe depthV rof the content of a container` be' indicated fon Vascale, ofshort length compared with the depth ofthe container. Y

l Furtherobjects are simplicity of construction and operation, cheapness of manufacl ture, and e'ectivenessin use. v Aurther ob'ect istheadaptabilityto yarionsI containers. 1 Y 'l v Other objects'jand'advantages will appear froiiil the followingdescription and will be setfforth inthe subjoinedclaim's, and I do not wishi to be limited Ainthe scope Aof my Vinventionezceptw as I shallbe limited byfsa'id claimsi",vvv 7 v ""In the .drawingsV l i A'Fifguref1shows the invention' as applied to thecistern ofthe tender of a; locomotive. Figuref2is1alongitudinaljsection through thei-n'vention, showing the arrangementof thevarious parts thereof. v 1 `Figurel3 is` ah-fragmentaryview on an en-l larged scale, showing lthe scale on which the depth of the liquidlin the container is Yindicated. Y

Figur'eieuis a"y sectionfon the linee- 4L lof Figure2, i enlarged in` comparison withsaid igure land showing therelationship of the float to'th'ecentral tube." "5 f f A `Fi'gur e 'is a detail vievvshowing a handle 'for operating the closure at the upper end oi' -tnefde'vicei Y I L fReferring to the drawings in detail',1Q,designates the tender of a locomotive, 11'is the y cistern therein Aand 12 designates thegauge which constitutes the subject ofl my invention-Tand shownas applied to; said tender. Thegauge comprises a, tubular 4member V13 which maybe mounted on the tender and eX 50 tended through apertures' 14 land 15 VJformed Y inthe form of hollow copper bodies hermeti- -therein for that purpose, the lower aperture beingguarded byl a gland construction 16 and the upper by a `plate 417, a' washer 18 and a clamping member 19, the assembly `of which is held in place by means of bolts 20, 55 the washer 18being of flexible or elastic material and when compressed by the member 19 vaffording fa suflicient frictional ,contact with thetube 13 to hold it againstdisp'la'cement.' The tubular meinber13is open atits '50 lower en d and'isprovided with a laterally extending iange 21 to which aV cone-shaped strainer 22 is attachedfby means offa cen trally Vapertured head 23,. The tube is also provided .withbaiiles 24: and 25 located adj a# centthe lower end'of vthe tube which prevents instability of the level indicator due togsurg ing of the'water underjtraliic conditions. Formed within the tube 13 are float chambers'26, 27 and 28, as shownthree in number, 0

but itwill be obvious when the invention fis thoroughly understood that the number of float chambers may be'multiplied to any de Vsired numberfandvto suit "anygiven condition. In the speciicapplication, however, a rough; indication of the amount oi`water` within the cistern'is all that is necessary and in consequence thenumber of the loat'chambers provided may be limited. The float chambers 26, 27 and 28 are defined by centrally aperturedbottom walls 29, f30`and 31 andtop walls 32, 33a'nd 34 which are con nected with the wallsof the tube '13, the upper wallsbeingprovided with central apertures preferably of greater diameter than the apertures inthe bottom walls, and the bottom walls have on their lower -aces rusto-conical depressions, and the upper walls have on,

their upper faces Vinverted rusto-con'icall depressions, as shown at 35 and 36'respectively 90 y thereby having 'their adjacent `faces plane` andpermitting full movement of the floats. Arranged within the, float chambers fare iioat v members 37,138 andv 39 which arefpreferably cally sealed and having central vertical passageways 40 therethrough, said passageways having communication with a kerfdl extending vertically fromone side, as shown in Figure 4,1t0 permitV it to be placed on-the O PA "SENi'r"-.,01FF1CE 1 tube 45. The oats 38 and 39 have preferably on their upper faces depressions 38a and 39EL to receive the collars 43 and 44 respectively which pass into the recessed top of y the floats, a similar collar 42 being posit1oned on the uper surface of the float 37 and said collar being connected with a vertically extending rod or tube 45 slidably connected with the floats 37 38 and 39. It will be noted that the distances between the upper and lower walls of thefloat chambers, considering them progressively upward, are of increasing length and there is secured to the upper end of the rod 45 an indicator 46 in the nature of pointers, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, and positioned adjacent the pointers upon the wall of the tubu# lar member 13 is a scale 47 having various designations thereon, as shown in Figure 3. One side of the scale membermay be made to'indicate to whatproportion the tank is illedand on the other side may be designated the numberl of gallons that the former indication represents. -A light may be provided within the casing, as at 48, and a window may be cut in the side thereof, as shown at 49, which window may be closed by a revolving shutter 50 having an aperture 5l therein corresponding to and adapted to be brought into alignment with the aperture 49 by the rotation of the shutter 50. The length of the scale 47, it will be noted, is considerably less than the depth ofthe cistern. However, the indications thereon are made to properly designate `the true depth in the cistern byuse of the above construction. The gauge is initially assembled in the shop by securing the bottom walls 29, 3() and 31 and the top walls 32, 33 and 34 respectively within the tube 13 by any appropriate shop kinks by1 prick punching yor otherwise indenting thel tube after having previously positioned the float members 37, 38 and 39 at the positions shown upon the rod 45. The collars 42, 43 and 44 are secured upon the rod 45 and are small enough to pass through the openings in the top walls 327 33 and 34.

. The operation of the device is as follows: When liquid within the cylinder rises to the height of the upper wall of the lowermost float compartment, the float 37 will be moved upwardly, carrying with Lit the rod 45 and the indicator 46 will be moved to aposition oppositethe lower marks on the scale, as indicated in the present showing designating that the tank is one-third full and on the opposite side ofthe scale the number of gallons therein may be read. rl"he collars 43 and 44 will be moved .from their seats on the two upper floats a distance equal to the distance between the lower float in its lowermost position and the lower surface of the wall 36 at the upper end of the lower float chamber. Water will flow around the float member and will pass therethrough as the water in the cistern rises to a greater depth, pushing the collar 42 of its seat in the passage thereof, the collars 42, 43 and 44 in this sense serving as valves. When the water rises to the level of the upper wall of the chamber 27, the float 38 will rise tion occurs when the water has risen to the uppermost float chamber, which in the present arrangement is arranged to operate when the tank is full or substantially full, and this third indication is read on the scale as in the former cases. t

By this arrangement it will be readily seen that on a comparatively short scale a considerable depth may be indicated, adapting the device for lconvenient use in comparatively cramped space, as in the cab of the engine to which the tenderis attached, or in position on the tender such that it may be readily observed by the engineer without the necessity of his leaving his position in the cab of the engine. In order to protect the mechanism the shutter may be kept closed except when it is desired to make a reading, and the light 48 may be extinguished. A handle 52 may be provided on the shutter to facilitate the turninO thereof.

iaving described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A gauge for measuring the depth of liquids in a container comprising a tubular support formed with a plurality of vertically aligned and spaced float chambers therein, a float member slidably arranged for vertical movement within each of the chambers, the length of said float chambers being progressively greater upwardlythrough the container, an indicator member extending longitudinally of and within said container and passing through said chambers and having sliding connection with said float members and also with respect to said container, and spaced means carried by the indicator member and adapted to seat respectively upon the upper faces of the float members as they rise pursuant to the head of liquid measured.

2. A gauge for use in connection with containers to measure the depths of liquid therein comprising a tubular support, a plurality of pairs of spaced wall portions within said support, the walls of the respective pairs being of greater distance apart progressively upward through the support thereby defining float chambers therebetween of increasing height, float members arranged one within each of the chambers and normally seated upon the upper sides of the lowermost walls therefor, an indicator rod slidably connected with the float members and slidable longitudinally through the chambers within the support, collars carried by the rod and seated upon the respectiye iioat members when the liquid in the container recedes below the level of the loWermost float member, a scale at thev upper end of the support and an indicator' on said rod registering With the scale to as-A certain the depth of liquid in the Container.

3. A liquid gauge comprising an open end tubular supporting member formed with vertically aligned and spaced Vfloat Chambers i lars carried by the rod and normally seated upon Vthe upper sides of the floats about the central bores Yfor the rod, an indicating pointer upon the upper end of the rod beyond the uppermost of the loat chambers, and a scale in said tubular support opposite said p pointer for cooperation With said pointer.

In testimony whereof I' aiiiX my signature.

JOHN H. BECKER. 

